Issy-les-Moulineaux, Wednesday, December 23th 2010
Dakar News
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Issy-les-Moulineaux, Wednesday, December 22th 2010
The seven soloists
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Issy-les-Moulineaux, Tuesday, December 21th 2010
The Dakar 2.0
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Issy-les-Moulineaux, Sunday, December 20th 2010
After the effort...
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Issy-les-Moulineaux, Thursday, December 16th 2010
Truck race: Who can beat "Big Blue"?
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Issy-les-Moulineaux, Monday, December 7th 2010
Chicherit in a Mini !
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Issy-les-Moulineaux, Tuesday, November 23rd 2010
Dakar 2011: version crescendo
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Issy-les-Moulineaux, Thursday November 04th 2010
Reconnaissance is complete
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Issy-les-Moulineaux, Tuesday September 26th 2010
The Aussies are coming!
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Issy-les-Moulineaux, Thursday September 30th 2010
PERSONAL, DAKAR TITLE SPONSOR
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Issy les Moulineaux, September 7th 2010
Jean-Pierre Fontenay: "Until the last kilometre"
As soon as the start from St Petersburg on Saturday, the confrontation will begin between the competitors of the second edition of Silk Way Rally, a Dakar Series event for which the course has been guided by the principles of the discipline, with a variety of terrain that calls for a capacity to adapt on behalf of the different crews. To explain the strategic stakes of this week of racing, Jean-Pierre Fontenay, winner of the 1998 Dakar and co-designer of the course believes there are three key moments that could prove to be decisive...
Stage 2: Staraya Russa - Viazma
The battle for the title will certainly start early, probably between the four Race Touaregs lined up by Volkswagen. And knowing the nature of the favourites, each and everyone of them will want to take an early advantage in the race. But on that day with two fairly different timed sectors, there are already quite a few traps to avoid. The tracks are rather fast and adapted to a WRC type of driving, but in the woods for example, a tiny mistake can cost minutes and maybe a dozen of them.
Stage 5: Volgograd - Astrakhan
We will here be at the heart of the "sand" part of the rally, with the longest special of the week. The competitors will certainly remember the Scorpion Erg. The size of the dunes shouldn’t surprise the leading drivers but one will have to remain cautious. First of all, because there will be quite a few waypoints to go through: the complicity between driver and co-driver will therefore be crucial. Other than that, it is often on the little dunes that the vehicles get stuck, by lack of concentration. On such a demanding day, it’ll be a factor to consider, especially for the crews that have less experience.
Stage 8: Maykop - Sochi
On the last two days, the competitors will have to re-adapt to a fast pace. But despite the shorter mileage of the final stage, the title will be up for grabs until the final of the 2014 kilometres of the race. There are indeed several fords to negotiate wisely before reaching the finish line.
The stages of the Silk Way Rally
Stage 1, Saturday 11th of September: St-Petersburg - Staraya Russa (86 km of special)
Stage 2, Sunday 12 of September: Staraya Russa - Vyazma (105 km + 100 km)
Stage 3, Monday 13 of September: Vyazma - Lipetsk (218 km)
Stage 4, Tuesday 14 of September: Lipetsk - Volgograd (302 km)
Stage 5, Wednesday 15 of September: Volgograd - Astrakhan (446 km)
Stage 6, Thursday 16 of September: Astrakhan - Elista (394 km)
Stage 7, Friday 17 of September: Elista - Maykop (347 km)
Stage 8, Saturday 18 of September: Maykop - Sochi Krasnaya Polyana (16 km)
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Issy les Moulineaux, September 6th 2010
DAKAR REGISTRATIONS FULL IN THE BIKE CATEGORY
Four months ahead of the start of the rally raid and two-and-a-half months before the closing of the registrations, the 2011 edition of the Dakar already has a full house in the bike and quad categories.
The registration period for the 33rd edition of the Dakar – that will take place in Argentina and Chile from January 1st to 16th next – is already nearing the end. As is the case in the race as well, the bikers were the fastest to send in their registration forms and dossiers and their number has reached and even surpassed the limit set by the organizers of the rally raid. Indeed, in order to provide for the best possible management of the sporting event, 200 motorbikes and quads will be allowed to start the race in Buenos Aires. As requests for further registrations in both categories are still flowing in, a waiting list has been established to allow a few more riders to join the race should any of the already registered contenders defect in the weeks to come.
On the 2011 Dakar, motorbike manufacturers are following the lead of last year’s precursors and moving towards 450cc bikes or less. After Aprilia – which managed to put Francisco “Chaleco” López on the podium for his very first time in the raid – it is now BMW that has registered and is sporting big ambitions with the creation of the Speedbrain BMW Rally Team. The new team immediately hired David Frétigné and Frans Verhoeven, who first test drove the machine in 2010. Bearing in mind that all the riders in the elite category have to register with a 450cc, the new outsiders will race on equal terms with the usual duel contenders Cyril Despres and Marc Coma, who both won the last five editions of the raid they participated in on KTM bikes. In the struggle for final victory, we will also have to count with the expertise of Yamaha with 450cc bikes, and on Honda and Sherco riders of the likes of David Casteu.
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Issy les Moulineaux, April 29th 2010
Argentina – Chile 2011: the route and new features
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Issy les Moulineaux, March 23rd 2010
DAKAR 2011: ARGENTINA-CHILE, ACT III
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